Lifesaving device



Aug. s, 1939.

LIFESAVING DEVICE Filed Aug.' 25, 1938 1J. N. STEBBING. JR

31m/MM JoH/v N. arise/Ng Je.

PetentedAug. 8, i939 UNITED STATES PATENT l oi-rlca I mnsazvl'rrzmvrcn John vN. Stebbllll, Jl'.,v Wl'llhlmn, D. C. AplultilllzAll-:zl N0. 226,312

- imnted under the eet er' Meren s, 188s, en

mended April so, 192s; sro o.T a. '157) l ably support the wearer in water.

It comprises in the main a cartridge or capsule containing highly compressed air or liquefied gas such as carbon dioxide, control means, and means of attachment to the inflatable part of the apparel, The device. by slight modification quite within the skillv of one skilled in the art, may be adapted forl other uses than that to which a'puncturing pin l for puncturing the .frangible disk located in the upper end of the usual gascontaining capsule or cartridge 5. This cartridge adept the inflated artic-1e te safely and eomrjprt- I have elected to apply it and in connection with which I have illustrated it.

20 I am aware that it is not new to inflate various articles of apparel and other things to insure safety of the wearer or user, but these have -been -unnecessarlly complicated, heavy and cumb'ersome. An object, therefore, of this invention, is to simplifysuch devices, enabling them to 'be manufactured at .a cost that would justify placingthem .on bathing suits, inflatable life-saving equipment and the like without adding prohibitively tothe-cost of the whole assembly. A further object is to so construct the de vice as to adapt it for use with the ordinary gascontaining capsule or cartridge easily obtained atvery 'small cost.

- In the drawing illustrating the inventionattachedto a wall of a tubular-'inflatable element ;which may -be a belt to. be removably worn Figure l is'fa vertical section of the contri'vanceA suit.

varound the body, `or an inflatable section per- -manentlyl secured in proper position to a' bathing' Figure 2 is a front view of the upper portion of an `ordinary bathingx suit' with my device atta'ched. i

Figure 3 isla section taken about on line ofFigure 2, showing the inflatable tube within .a pocket formed in a bathing suit.

l' Figure 4 is a section of a modiilcation of the securing nut.

Referring. to the drawing, the numeral .I desig- 50 the .control andpuncturing elements. This dis provided at one end with an annular recess or' chamber 2 of larger' diameter at one'end than at the other, as indicated atl. In the upper end is positioned directly below the'pin and is supported in a casing 6 formed at its yupper end with 5 a portion i 4internally threaded as indicated at 8 for engagement with similar threads 9 on the body, by-which means the body propenandthe casing are separably secured together. y

Communicating with the recess 2\is aduct or 10 passage I0 which connects with a similarpassage ii at right angles to the first. Preferably integral with the body there is a 'threaded lateral extension I2 in which there is a passage I3 forming, regardless of how the extension is secured to the l5 body I, a continuation of the passage Il and isthe outletfor the infiating' fluid or gas. At the 'intersection of the passages I0 and'li a valve seat I4 is formed 'for the conical end of the needle valve I5 that is threaded into the body` I 20 'Y opposite the extension i2, the valve being provided With a head lita which is attached a bail or handle I'l-by which the valve may be readily advancedor retracted to vary the size of the communicating opening between the .passages I0 25 and Il to thuscontrol the flow ofA gas from the ybody to the. points of use.

The numeral I8 designates a comparatively flat securing 'nut which, as best shown in Figure 1, may besecured in a gas-tight mannerv to the 30 wall I9 of the inflatable element, such asy a' rubber tube. 'I'he nut is provided' with a thin" ange 20 for convenient passage of rlvetsbyA which the Anut is secured' to the wall I9 orto both thewall andthe material, say, of a bathing 35 when the deviceis te be used rer indenne e tube in 'a bathing suit `as 25, there will preferably be' formeda pocket A extending entirely around the'suit and the material thereof willhlie vbetween ov Y the wall I ofthe tube and the at face 2li' of the body I, and will necessarily be tightlyv clamped betweenthesemembers. The nut is provided with an interiorlyjthreaded-'socket 22 which screws on the threaded section I2, there being s a ductorpassage 23 to register with the passage I3 inthe extension lf2.'

There will preferablylbe a gasket 24 of rub- I ber- `orother compressible material in the chamnetes the mein-body or the device niet neneesl ber 2 or une body l. engaged by the shoulder o of the cartridge whereby said cartridge is normally held away from the puncturlng pin, vthe arrangement beingrsuchthat when the casing 6 is screwed up on the body to -operate the cartridge there will-at the same' time be formed a u ,y

Y the cartridge is pierced the control of the ilow of gas-tight nt between the gasket and eax-tridge, thus conning the gas within the recess or chamber above the cartridge. However, as a precauceives the outer end of the extension I2 attached to the main bodv I. This form of nut is useful where it is desired to inilate a bathing suit and thereafter remove the main inating device after the inflation operation has been completed.

.'I'he device will be so light and compact that the whole assembly may be worn by a bather without inconvenience and in readiness to be operated in emergency. Indeed, this is the prime object of the contrivance. O'n the other hand, it may be, as above intimated, used as an iniiation device for iniiating a tube, say, within a childs bathing suit to provide the wearer with the equivaient of water wings or other safety aids inv swimming lessons or to relieve parents and nurses of their anxiety about their charges, inI which uses the nut may be provided with the checkvalve as vabove described and illustrated in Figure 4, to prevent theescape of gas from the tube. In

these circumstances the body I and its connected parts mayberemoved.

'I'he extension I2 is threaded into the nut which is fastened to the inilatable element and the body I turned until its at face' 2l' is drawn `tightly against Said element. 'I'he inator to open the passage Il when, obviously,

the gas may pass to the point of u se. By test, where carbon dioxide is used, and for whlcl/ythe lnilator is designed, the size of the iixed paages. as well as the oriiice that occurs at the needle valve point will be such that clogging by freezing .will be avoided, even when the inator is used lmsubmerged. The lengths of the threads on the bodylandonthecasinglaresuchthatthe cartridge which rests uponthe bottom of the casing isnormally supported just below thefend of the piercing or puncturing pin so that little rotation oi' the casing relative to the body I will besuflicienttocarrythecartridgeuptoapoint where the frangible disc in its upper end is pierced. Obviously, before the cartridge is operated the needle valve is ilrmly, seated and 4after gas is eiected by the needle valve through the convenient manipulation of the handle I'I.

Instead 'of the bale or handle I1 I may employ a rod secured to the head Il and generally extending at right angles thereto to form a lever that may be pulled down or pulled in one direction a suiilcient distance to sumciently unseat the needle valve II and permit the gas to flow from the body I to the point of use. 'This form in an emergency would enable the user to' operate the device more quickly.

It sometimes happens that the carbon dioxide cartridge, such as I employ, falls to receive the charge of gas in manufacture, although from outside appearances it is perfectly good. The construction of my device is such that when the cartridge is punctured the gas from a good cartridge will ll'the space immediately above the cartridge and the passage Il. The device can then be tested by very slightly opening the valve and permitting a minute quantityl of gas to escape, when the valve is immediately closed. 'I'his operation serves to'. test the cartridge, after which the whole device may be, with condence, applied to the article to be inilated.

In illustrating the body which contains the gas passages, puncturing pin and valve, the flat portion thereof is shown as more extensive than it need be. Obviously, the purpose oi making the body flat is to permit it toilt snugly or evenly against the article to which the inilating device is attached.

What I claim isl. An inating device comprising a body hav-.

ing a substantially flat side to adapt it for attachment to the ilat wall of an inilatable'element and a recess in said body,.a puncturing pin rigidly secured in said recess, a fluid passage adjacent said pin and leading outside of said body, a threaded extension on the dat side of said body and having a passage therethrough forming a, continuation of the body passage, a securing nut for said extension arranged to clamp a portion of the wall ofA an inatable article between said nut and said body for the vpurpose set forth, a cartridge container rotatably secured to the body and operating to advance a` cartridge therein toward the puncturing pin to puncture said cartridge, and a manually operable needle valve in said body foricontrolling thel passage of the iiuid through said bOdY.

2. An inilating device comprising a body hav- `ing a recess therein, a puncturing pin rigidly secured in said. recess, a iluid passage adjacent said pin and communicating with said recess. a

second passage in communication with the ilrst and leading outside of the body andiorming substantially a continuation of said iii'stV passage,

a valve seat at the juncture of said passages and common to both of said passages, a manually operable valve arranged for movement relative to said seat to control the flow of iluid through said passages, and a gas cartridge con- 

